Type-writing machine.



E. THOMAS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. ISI?A Y 1,292,152. Patented Jan. 21, 19m,

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IXPPLICATIN FILED JULY 6.9I1.

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TYPE WRITHJG MACHINE.

APPLICATIDN FILED lULY 5 191?.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

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E. THOMAS.

f'PE WRITING MACPif'E.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 6. NHL T 1,292,152., mme@ dan. 21, 19m

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Original application illedvAugust 1, 1913, Serial No. 782,391. Divided and this application led July 6, 1917.

' York city, in the county of New UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEiroE.-

EDWARD THOMAS, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

UNDEBWOOD COMPUTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATION 0F NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21,1919.

- serial No. 178,892.

' To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residin in New ork and State of New York, ;,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines, and is herein disclosed as applied to an Underwood typewriting machme, havf ingincorporated therein certain of the co1- umn-selecting devices disclosed in the pat- 'ent to Wernery, No. 1,108,415, dated August 25, 1914. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means whereby the typewriting machine may automatically become effective to write in a predetermined color, in any selected column, and also to provide means whereby, after the typewriting machine thus becomes effective to write in such column, the color 'of the writing may be changed at the will of the operative, irrespective of the previously 4determined setting. To eii'ect this result, I provide that the pivoted column stop rack bar in the Wernery patent, after being swung to effective position, may be held in said position by suitably formed co erating column stops, and that the means or settlng and holding said column stops in this effective position may also be effective to shift and then maintain the printing color of the typewriter, unless the color is otherwise manually selected independently later. y

For shifting the ribbon color, I have found it convenient to provide shiftable indieators on the column-selecting keys, which may be settable to indicate the color selected,

with theresult that, when any key is depressed, it will thereby select the ,/proper color, and the column-selecting stop may be effective to' maintain said settinglas describedV above. 'y This application is a division o my copendingfapplication No. 782,391, led August 1, 1913.

Other features and, advantages will hereinafter appear.

. 'In 'the accompanying drawings,

Fig.' 6 is a diagrammatic view, showingy the connection between the shiftable cap of a column-selecting key andribbon-shifting device. v

Fig. 7 is a sectional side view, largely diagrammatic, showing the ribbon being shifted into the position seen in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the ribbon-shifting device shifted to the opposite extremity of its throw.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of part of the column-selecting mechanism.v

Fig. lO'is a rear View of the same.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 12 is a View showing the parts at Fig. 11 on a smaller scale, and in section, in part, on a lower level.

In the usual. Underwood typewriting ma-v j platen 6. Said platen is mounted in a car'- riage 8 which travels on rails 9, being drawn by a spring-barrel 10, and its travel is controlled by an escapementvwheel 11 connected to a pinion 12, which pinion meshes with a rack bar 13 attached to the typewriter car riage. Said escapement wheel is controlled by. dogs 14, said dogs being rocked by a frame 15 forming part of a universal bar 16,

said universal bar being operated by heels 17. on the type-bars every time a type prints on the 'platentt 5 In order .to rapidly position typewriter carri ge' 8 at .any desired., o lurnn, d there are -p vided .column-selectin ikeys 18 ,d

y stops 21. When. however. any lug` 32 slipsA and decimal-selecting keys 19, which, by their conjoint action, are adapted to release the typewriter carriage and cause it to travel forward freely until the carriage is arrested by a column stop 20, which is intercepted by a projected counter stop 21. To eeot this, the decimal-selecting keys 19, when depressed, swing down their key-levers 22, thus raising the counter stops 21, there being one counter stop 21 for each key 19. These keys and counter stopsmay be of the usual Underwood construction.

The decimal-selecting keys 19 are, however, normally locked against depression byl means' of a universal bail'23, which underlies all thehooks 24, there being one hook on each key-lever The depression of any column-selecting key 18, however, is adapted to release all the decimal keys 19, and for this purpose, the key-lever 25 for each vcolumn-selecting key 18 is proyided with a eamming extension 26, which, when a key 18 is depressed, cams forwardly the bail 23 'carrying it clear of all the hooksv 24, with the result thatl wh'en any column-'selecting key 18 isdepressed', any, decimal-selecting key 19 may thereafter be depressed.

he bail 23 is 'normally held in place by a spring 27, and is pivoted on the sides of the machine at 28. When any column-selecting key 18 is depressed, lit tends to move the stops 2O within the range of the counter stops 21, said stops 20 being normally out of the reach of said counter stops. To effect this, each column-selecting key 18' has resting on the rear end of its key-lever 25 a plunger 29, to which is fastened the upper end of a spring 30,`the lower end of said spring being-attachedto a slide 31, so that the depression of any columnfselecting key 18 will tension its spring 30 and tend vto move its slide 31 upwardly.

The slides 31 are, however,normally kept against moving upwardly, because they have lugs 32, which underlie a column-selecting' slide 33, said slide 33, however. being slotted at 34 (Fig. 12), to permit any lug 32 to slip therethrough when the slide 33 proper position. Said slide 33 acts as a column-selecting device, and is adapted to position its slot 34 so as to permit the proper lug 32 to rise upward when the typewriter carriageiarrives at the proper column. when the slipping` upward of the lug 32 causes the column stops 20 to immediately move within the range of the counter stops 21. To effect this, the column stops 2.0 are-mounted on a rack bar 35, which is pivotally mounted at 36 on the typewriter carriage, and is normally held upward by a flat spring 37 so as .to hold the stops 20 clear of the counter into the slot 34. its spring 30 overcomes the spring 3 7.` thus moving the stops 20 downwardly, in the manner described above'.V`

is in the:

To permit this to he done, the rack bar 35 a roll 39, said roll being mounted on the front end of a lever 40 of which the rear end carries a bail 41, said bail extending through a slot 42 in every slide 31, with the resulte. thatV when any slide 31 moves upwardly it catches lthe hail 41, raising 'said bail and swinging down the roll 39, thus causing the roll to depress the column-stop bar 35. Thus, it will be seen that any column-selectj ing key 18 may be fully depressed to release the decimahselecting keys 19, but that the column-selecting key 18 does vnot become effective until its spring 30 becomes effective.

--right column in the travel of the typewriter carriage, the slide 33 is adapted to be moved intermittently by the typewriter carriage; this being effected by rearward extensions 43 `on the column stops 20. These extensions, during the travel of the typewriter carriage, engage the teeth of a star wheel 44 to turn that wheel intermittently. with the result that the wheel 44is turned identical distances by every stop-bar extension 43. Said` star wheel 44 is fast to a pinion 45, which meshes withy a rack har 46 forming partv of the slide 33, with'the result that every time a stop 20 carries its extension 43 past the star wheel 44, it moves the slide 33 one step, thusshifting the slot from its position opposite one lug 32 to a position opposite' the. next lug 32. Thus, it, will be seen that the slide 33 selectively releases the lugs 32, permitting any lug which is tensioned up` wardly by its spring 30, to be released at the proper time.

'be freed at the right time, the star wheel 44 is positioned near one side of the usual casing 47 (Fig. 11). in which the counter stops 21 are placed; this being done to insure that the slide will only be moved when no column stop 20 is above the counter stops 21.

In -order to release the typewriter carriage. to permit it to travel along until it is arrested by the stop 2,0. the usual Underwood escapement-release mechanism may be utilized. y This includes a heel 48 on each counter stop 21` each heel engaging a short universal bar 49, pivoted at 50, having a forward extension 51, with the result that when any counter stop 21 is raised by depression of its key 19. the extension 5l is depressed, drawing down the usual link 524 to i rock the usual pivoted lever 53, thus causing a roll 5l on the front end of said lever to lift the rack bar 13 out of -the pinion 12, with the result. that the spring-barrel 10 -draws the typewriter carriage freely to the form.

ressed, it not only releases the decimal-seecting keys 19, but also may be-eifective to shift the typewriter-ribbon mechanism, to cause it to write in one or another of two selected colors. For this purpose, each column-selecting keylever 25 has at'its rear end a shiftable' lug or interponent 55 which is adaptedto be positioned under one or the other end of a double bail having arms 56 and 57. i v

The bail 56, 57 is fast to a rock shaft 59 to which also is fast 'a rock arm .60, said rock arm pivoted to a forwardly-extending vlink 61 which is adapted to rock a rock shaft 62 by4 means of a rock arm 63, so that a second rock arm 64 on said shaft 62 will operate fa bichrome-ribbon mechanism including keys' 65 and 66 of about the usual For operating the keys 65 and 66, there is provided a shiftable cam plate 67 pivotally connected to the rock arm 64, 'so that it will have an up-and-down motion,

` and cams 68, 69 and 70 thereon will be ableI to rock the shaft 71, to vwhich the keys 65 and 66 arejast. To do this, there is provided anf'arm 72 having a limited rocking motion on the shaft 71 and held normally at right angles 'to the plane of the keys 65 4and 66 by means of a fairly strong spring 73. This spring 73 permits the arm 72 to rotate `ythe shaft 7,1 and at the same time to be overthrown with respect to said shaft, thus per-` xnitting the cams 68, 69 and 70, if necessary,

'5to overthrow the arm 72 without wrecking e the kbichrome mechanism.

.'LQThe cani .68 is adapted to depress the key 655 no matter which way the cam plate 67 `is shifted. To eir'ect this, the cam 68 is formed 1 as" an isosccles triangle having its apeX near ythe medial line of the plate 67. The 'cam 70 is so formed that the cam plate 67, in moving v'from the Fig. 2 positionto the Fig. 8 position, willshift the arm 72 to the right, thus 'depressingthe key 66. The cam 69 is so formedv as to reverse the action of the cam 701whe1ithe cam plate 67 is moved in the reverse direction. To permit these actions, the arm 72'has a pin 74 acting as a follower to run onthe face of the cams. In order to permit the'cam plate 67 to rise, as sh wn in vFig.v 4 with the arm 72 already at it lefthand position, it is necessary to permit the .arm 72 to be overthrown, and it is to permit this overthrow that the spring 73 is included in the connections.

h The bich'rorne shaft 71 is herein shown as operating the 'usual' Underwood bichrome mechanism. This mechanism vincludes the usual' shiftableactuator 75 on the universal bar 16, said actuator having two slots 76 and 7 whichare adapted to alternatively engage, respectively,actuating-pins 78 and 79, .which-"ar '-fast". onf'an upwardly-projecting'.

bbon .actuator 81, with the result'thatu rearward motionv ofthe universal bar 16 rocks the actuatorl 81 to swing its front -end 82 upwardly, thus lifting a ribbon carrier 83, so that a ribbon passin through slot 84 of the ribbon carrier w1ll be raisedto the printing point.

` Since the pin 78 isrelativelyclose to pivot 85 of the actuator 81, it will give the actuator a large throw and cause it to raise the lower stripe of aribbon ,1n the slot 84 into v ever the actuatbr is shifted to the appropriate position to cause said action.

For Shifting the actuator 75, there is provided the usual link 86which is pivoted to the-usual rock arm 87 at the rear end of the rock shaft 71 on which keys 65 and 66 are mounted.

In order to hold the ribbon at a selected color, after being so positioned, there is provided an extension 87a of the rock arm 60, which is adapted to detained in any one of three positions, thus holding the ribbonbichrome mechanism in any one of three po sitions; two of these positions being usually for writing in black, and one for writing in red. The detaining means herein illustrated include a detent arm 88, which is pivoted on the framework of the typewriter carriage, and is provided with three notches 89, 90 and 91, any one of which is adapted to engage' a pin 92 on the extension 87', the one engaged depending upon the position of the rock arm 60.

In order to hold the notches 89, 90 and 91 4in effective position to detain the rock arm 60, a spring 93 is connected to both the extension 87a and to the detent arm 88, constantly tending to draw them together with the result that when the pin 92 sets itself in any of the notches 89, 90 or 91, it will be held there unless forcibly moved away. Thus the ribbon mechanism when set to write in a different color, will remain continually at that -color until released.

Since it is desirable to release the color printing mechanism at the end of a column, there is provided for accomplishing this, a

column determining plate 94 which is pivoted on the frame of the machine at 95 and is adapted to catch overa depressed column` stop 20, with the result that the plate 94 holds the' columnstop bar 35 downward until the columnvstop 20, which is effective to catch the plate, passes beyond said plate.

Then the stop escapes from it and the column stop bar rises. Tol the plate 94 there is kfastened a downwardly-projecting arm 96 pass idlv bv the holding plate 94,

,described above.

which is adapted to controlthe detent arm .S8 in such a Way that when the plate Slet. releases the stop Q0 which it has been yholding, it lifts the detent arm 88 and allows the? 97 to a one-Waydog 98 which is adapted to 'be struck by the projection 96 when the plate 94 escapes from the stop 20. Thev connections are such, that the one-way dog 98. when thus struck, lifts the detent arm ,88, thus permitting` the sprin 93 to lbecome effective. The one-wayl og 98V is herein shown as including a body 99 on .which is pivoted a catch-100 which is normally lheld 1n the vertical position seen in Fig. 7,'by a spring 101, thus holding ya tail 102 against a pin 103 on, the body 99. The structure is such that the projection'96, in swinging rearwardly from the position seen in Fig. 7, will strike against the pivoted catch 100 which is prevented from turning on the body 99,'and therefore turns the body 99 onits pivot, lifting the detent arm S8. The normal position of the projection 96 is seen in Fig. 1. 4In order to enable the stops 20 to t v cach stop is slotted at its rear end at 104.

As thc'typewriter carriage travels along in being brought to a given colunni by the column-selecting keys, thestops 20 would. -teiid to strike the edge of the plate 94, thereby blockingr the typewriter carriage. To prevent this. the right-hand edge of the plate 94 is formed as a. cam 105 (Fig. 9), lwhich is adapted to catch against ancilge 106 on each column stop and' to ovcrlie a rear 'ard projection 10T on the column stop, j

this latter projection serving to catch under the plate 9J: and thereby hohl the column stop and coliiniii-stop bar down. When any stop releases thc plaie 94, said plate is swung forwardly by means ot' a comparatively strong spring 109, said spring serving te drive the projection 9G ot' the plate. rearwardly with enough strength to release the detent 88'in the manner described above.

The mechanism so far hasbeen described as one for aiiton'iatically making a given color of the. typewriter ribbon elfective.' The typewriter ribbon may. however. be niadc effective to print in another color after having-'been titutoniatically set in the manner For this piirposetlie pin 74,Ynnless actually beingl shifted always stands clear of each cam (5S. 69 and 70, with' the result that the pin can be freely moved by depressing either of the keys 65 or 66, if

it is desired to shift the ribbon color maniially. Thus the mechanism provides means whereby the selection of the ribbon color may he normally inefective, may become means for present automatically effectiveA by operation of the colonia-selecting keys, or after being automatically selected, may be manually altered. In order to prevent thc depression of a colmim-.selecting key, after' the typewriter carriage hasl passed the column at which the key. might properly be operable, the slide 33 is provided with a lug or projection 109, ex-

tending leftwardly from the slot or. notch 34. This projection is of such a size thatfit passes just above the lugs 32. with the result that after the slot 34 has passed any lug 32,

-the projection' 109 stands just above the lug,

and, by blocking the movement ofthe lug. locks its key. i

Variations may bc resorted to within the scope of the invention. and portions of the improvements maybe used without others.

`Having thus described my invention, l claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with column-selectin,5 r keys. ot' settablc means associated with each column-selecting key for determining whether the typewriting mechanism shall write red or black.

f2. lin a typcwriting machine,l the combination with a traveling carriageaind si-linnnselecting keys therefor. ot' a poiychlioine ribbon, and means including a device` mounted on each column-selecting key for dc'ici-inining in lwhat eolor the typewriter shall write in the column selected/by the key operand.

3.' ln a-typewriting machine. the combination with a traveling carifiage and identical.

stops settable thereon. of means for :irresting said carriage by' said stops. said stops being `normally in an inett'ective position.

Acoluinn-selectiini keys, a connection between said column-selecting keys and said stops for moving the stops to effective position when they approach the column selected by the key operated..- a polychrome ribbon t'oi" said inachiiic,'and meansI including a device settablclon each coliiii'in-selecting key fordetern'iining in'whatcoior the tvpeivriter shall write in a 'given column.

.4. in a typewriting' machine. the combi-l nationwith a-traveling carriage and columnselecting keys, of levers for .said keys. an

,interpcnent settable on each of said levers, and means on each key tor setti ng said interponent.

5. In a typewriting macina the combination with column-selecting ke of a ti" cling carriage, and means for prevent the operation of any column-selecting ner after said carriagehas passed the column,

which the cohirrrn-selecting key is adapted to select. Y

6. vIna typewriting machine, the combination with coliimii-seiecting keys and ini-ans associated with saidkcys for determiningr `the color in which typewritiiig should be done, oit trav l'ng carriage, and

4 eration of any column-selecting key after said carriage has mechanism has been set by a column-selecting key, it may be manually altered irre-- spective of such setting.

8. in a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and column stops therefor, of keys for selecting columns in the travel of said carriage Iby Asaid stops, a color-controlling mechanism for said typewriter, means controlled by said. stops for determining the length of column over which a given color shall be selected, and means whereby said column keys determine the selected color.

Si. in a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, of columnseleeting keys tor positioning said carriage, a eoltn-coiitrolling mechanism for said typewriting machine, means associated with each column-selecting key for setting said coiorcontrolling mechanisnna catch for holding' seid mechanism 1n whatever posit-lon it is device for releasing said catch set, andv a,

passes beyond a predewhen the typewriter terinmed column.

1.0. in a typewriting machine, the combi-l nation with column-selecting keys, of a color-controlling mechanism for the typewriter, a cam-plate, a series of cams on said piate, a follower adapted to be operated by said cams for mechanism, means operated by a ceinmnselecting kej,1 for variably shit ng," said plate, and a device settable to deterinii'ze how said key shall position said plate, said cams shifting said foliower in passing from one ance with the changing the colei-printing position of rest of the camplate to another, and adapted to permit the follower to be shifted independently of the cams in the position of rest of the cam-plate.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination with column-selecting keys, of colercontrollin'g mechanism for the typewriting machine, a follower for operating said ccinr controlling'mechanism, a camcplate adapted te be shifted, and includingcams for moving said follower while beingk shifted, con nections from said column-selecting keys for 'variably shifting the cani plate, and devices settable on said keys to determine how any column-selecting key shall shift said camplate when operated, said cam-plate adapted in a position of restto permit the follower to be adjusted independently of the cams.

12. In a typevvriting machine, the combination with a bichrome mechanism including manual-setting means, of a cam plate including several cams for automatically setting the bichrome mechanism in accordi travel of the typewriter carm ringe, keys forming part of said manualsetting means, andafollower on which said cams are e'iective to do the setting during their shifting, said follower normally lying between said cams in any set position, lse

that the-manual setting means may be cperated.

13. .ln a typewriting machine, the comhination with a polychrome mechanism, of means for setting sind mechanism at the travel of the typewriter carriage, a catch for holding it set, and means for releasing said catch by the travel of the typewriter carriage. 4

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage and poly chrome mechanism for writing selectively in columns determined by said carriage, of column-selecting keys for setting said polychrome mechanism, and a carriage-controlledcatclr for releasing said mechanism.

EDVVARD THOMAS.

Witnesses CATHERINE A. NEWELL, ANDREWA A. JOHNSON. 

